


Laughter is the best medicine. (AU)

by hopelessnest



Category: The Handmaid's Tale (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Awkward Tension, F/M, Laughter, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-27 10:34:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20406298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelessnest/pseuds/hopelessnest
Summary: Commander Lawrence is trying. He & June share a moment of laughter.





	Laughter is the best medicine. (AU)

June is fixing herself some tea when Commander Lawrence enters the kitchen. 

"Hello," he says.

"Good morning," she sips her tea.

_Better than a 'blessed day'._ He moves around the room uncomfortably.

_ What is his _ problem _ lately? I’ve never felt such a rich awkwardness radiating from him before.  
_

She can’t bear the tension any longer. “Did anything ever become of Winslow’s disappearance?” she feels funny calling it that.

He looks up at her, “Uh, no … he was deemed ‘missing’ and they pushed it under the rug after a few weeks.”

She nods.

“I’m sorry about what he did to you … but to be honest I kind of thought he was ... a … queer.” He says politely and they lock eyes. They both tense up, and both burst into giggles.

“Maybe I did him a favor then” she chuckles as she pictures him being taken away for gender treachery.

They stand appropriate distances from one another, but they slowly relax their stances and slip further into the current state of laughter - both of them realizing they’ve never heard the other _ truly _ laugh. 

They each catch their breath and stand silently, looking at each other curiously. This thing they call life now is so insane, they couldn't help but laugh. They haven't done it for real in a _very_ long time.

  
_ Laughter is the best medicine, as they say. Moments like this are special _ , June thinks, _ a brief relapse into our old reality. The sensation, at least. I didn’t expect to share one with _ him, _ though. _

_ " _You're alright about it though? I mean, I never even asked you." He glares at her, his eyes hesitant, yet inviting.

_ He's trying. _

"I'm ..." her mind flashes images of her stabbing Winslow repeatedly, "There are more pressing matters now." Without noticing, her left hand moves to the bottom of her belly. It's small, but it's there now.

He watches her hand move on her belly. He feels a nervous sensation rush through his body, rapidly. "That's true," he nods and replies.

They look at each other, sympathetically. Her hands moves around on the bottom of her belly.

"Twelve weeks, right?" he asks.

"Yep," she gives a soft smile.

"Everything ... is ... good?" he motions toward her abdomen.

_He's trying._

"Everything's good."

Cora walks in, it is clear she feels like she has interrupted something. The awkwardness continues as June and Commander Lawrence both leave the kitchen.

**Author's Note:**

> check out my other works for more June/Lawrence fics!


End file.
